Styles and design · 4 October 2026 · 5 min read

Choosing colours and prints for a custom design

Choosing fabric colour and prints for a custom outfit: matching print scale to the cut, placing motifs, colour blocking, contrast trims and on-screen colour.

Inspiration

Let either the cut or the fabric lead

When you choose colours and prints for a custom design, decide first whether the cut or the fabric is the star. A detailed cut, with a yoke, panels, pleats or an interesting neckline, shows best in a plain or quietly textured fabric. A bold print looks best on a simple shape that gives it room. Trying to make both loud at once usually means one cancels the other out.

This guide covers the design side of colour and print: scale, placement and contrast. For which shades flatter you, see our guide to choosing colours that suit you.

Match the print to the pieces

Print scale matters more in a made-to-measure outfit than people expect, because the fabric is cut into pieces of very different sizes.

Large motifs need large pieces. On a narrow yoke, cuff or placket, a big flower gets cut in half and reads as a random blob.
Small, all-over prints are forgiving: they work on any cut and hide seams well.
Directional prints, where every motif points one way, must be cut the same way up on every piece, which can use more fabric.
Stripes and checks look best when they line up at the seams and placket. Mention it in your notes so it is planned before cutting.
Border prints sit along one edge of the fabric and are usually placed at the hem or sleeve ends. Say where you want them.

Plain pieces, colour blocking and contrast

A plain fabric does not have to mean a plain outfit. You can build interest with colour instead of print: a contrast yoke, sleeves in a second shade, a band of colour at the hem, or a lining that shows at a slit. Keep colour blocks to two or three shades and repeat each one at least twice, for instance a contrast sleeve cuff that matches the trousers.

Smaller contrasts work too. Piping, a facing at the neckline or a different-coloured button placket all frame the design without dominating it. Our guide to piping and trims shows how much a narrow line can change, and pairing printed and plain pieces covers balancing a three-piece suit.

Colour and the type of print

How a print is made affects how it looks close up. Digital prints carry fine detail and photographic shading; block and screen prints have flatter colour and, with block printing, small irregularities that are part of the charm. Our guide to block, digital and screen print explains what you are looking at, and the fabrics library shows how colour sits on lawn, cambric, khaddar and more.

Remember that the same dye looks different on different fabrics: deeper and richer on velvet or karandi, lighter and brighter on fine lawn or chiffon.

Judging colour on a screen

Colours can look slightly different in photos than in real life, because of lighting, cameras and screens, and a small difference in shade is normal. When you describe a colour, give a reference as well as a name: “dusty rose, like the second photo, not bright pink”. If you are sending your own fabric, photograph it in daylight next to something white so we can see its true shade.

With Fabric + Stitching, we propose fabric for your design and share photos and descriptions of it in your quote, and you agree it in writing before anything is cut. The Fabric + Stitching service explains how fabric is chosen with you.

Putting it in your brief

On the custom quote form, add a line on colour and print to your design notes: which piece is printed and which plain, where any border goes, and any contrast you want. If you are unsure which way round works best, choose “advise me” and we suggest a combination in your quote.

Ordering from Riyadh or Jeddah? The Saudi Arabia custom design page explains how quotes work there, with delivery and any import charges included.

Common questions

Should I choose a printed or plain fabric for a detailed design?

Usually plain or softly textured. Yokes, pleats and unusual necklines get lost in a busy print, while a bold print shines on a simple, straight cut.

Can a large print be used for a kameez with a yoke?

It can, but large motifs are often cut through on small pieces such as a yoke or cuff. A plain yoke in a matching colour is a common way round it.

Will the colour match the photo exactly?

Colours can look slightly different from photos because of lighting, cameras and screens, and a small difference in shade is normal. Daylight photos of the fabric are the best guide.

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